Dragon Marked
by Shadowmage Infiltrator
Summary: A tragedy marked his life when he was eight. Another tradegy gave him another mark when he was twelve. Now a fifteen he will begin his journey wearing his second mark with pride. He proved himself to a dragon and now he and his team will travel to reach their goals, the Kanto title of Champion and the title of the best Dragon Master in the world. AU and M rated, not for little kids
1. Chapter I

**Hello readers. I'm Shadowmage and this is my first ever Pokémon story and my second fic in english. One of my dearest friends send me some links of Pokémon fics and I read them to recall my younger days when I watched the anime, played the games and con little kids with the trading card game when they came out and many of the Magic Gamers started to play and con little kids. We were such a bastards then, taking their best cards when trading or taking their money when selling them stupid cards like Pikachu. Even today I and my Magic gamers friends laugh when we remember those days. To bad that I don't play Magic anymore. **

**So, after reading some fics that she recommended I decided to write one after we discussed some ideas because while she also share my pastime of reading fics she doesn't have much enthusiasm at writing. **

**I hope you like this story and have a good time reading.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon. **

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"_We just received the latest information about the series of criminal acts that have occurred in the last day. For those who recently joined our transmission, we inform you that a series of attacks have being made in several regions since yesterday, the targets were Pokémon Breeding Farms and Pokémon Sanctuaries across the regions were many rare pokémons and eggs have been stolen. The most recent attack was perpetuated in the Dragon Holy Land in Johto when, according to an eye witness, several men and women of Team Rocket attacked the guardians of the Holy Land killing many of them, including the ancient Dragonite who belonged to the first Gym Leader of the Blackthorn Gym. The witness, an old guardian of the Dragon Holy Land, told the authorities that three of the guardians were Team Rocket members. The authorities have stated that the preliminary investigation suggest that this was also the case in the other targets due to the efficacy of the attacks. This is the first act of Team Rocket since the supposed division of the group four years ago when Team Rocket Leader known as Sakaki was captured and sentenced for life in prison for the kidnapping of several prominent trainers and their families resulting in their murders, between those trainers was the last Champion of Kanto Asht…" _

The television was turned off and a twelve black haired boy known as Ash Ketchum turned to see his mother, Delia Ketchum, walk away from the living room to the kitchen to occupy herself. Ash sighed at seeing his mother like that, knowing that it was difficult for her hear the name of his father and remember how he gave his life to protect them. He looked at his father's Alakazam who was deep in meditation.

"I hate seeing her like that Albert" Ash said standing up from the couch to get himself a glass of soda from the table "Sometimes I wish she just could forget about it."

"_You know that she still miss her husband, Ash"_ the Alakazam, known as Albert, spoke telepathically "_She has had four years to heal, but when she see a picture or hear the name of your father her wounds opens once again, she is doing better but only time will heal her wounds completely"_

"Yeah, but how much more time" Ash commented before drinking from his glass.

"_The time she need."_ answered Albert cryptically "_She didn't have the mental block to suppress what happened like you had, and remember that you were pretty bad when you broke the mental block that I put in your mind."_

"_But I got better rather quickly after that" _Ash said using telepathy, a gift he discovered after practicing with his father Alakazam. Albert has discovered that Ash had psychic powers when the boy was five years old and Ashton, Ash father and master of Albert, has told him to always stay with his son and train him in his powers. After seven years of training Ash had developed the ability of speak telepathically with anyone, although it was easier to communicate with pokémons instead of humans, levitate objects and read minds. The last ability was the most difficult for him because the complexity of the mind. The first one was the easiest and the one he liked most because he could understand the pokémons while speaking telepathically with them. He also gained the need of learning. He would always be with his nose buried in a book without caring what the topic was about, he just needed to learn, to fill his brain with knowledge.

"_Yes, you got better quickly after you broke the block, and that was because the mental block helped you to cope with what happened" _Albert replied "_You knew you father has perished and mourned his passing, but when you were mourning you didn't knew how father died. The block helped you to go on with your life and when you broke the block two years ago the truth didn't affect you much. If you didn't have that block the trauma after what happened would have been far greater. And that was an option that your mother didn't have."_

"_I know, I know, I just…" _Ash said but stopped and sighed "_Nevermind, I want to go read something in father study and have to tell Mom, come on let's go"_

Ash and Albert walked to the kitchen were Delia was making herself busy by cleaning the already spotless kitchen. She noted her son and Albert at the door and stopped.

"You need something honey" Delia asked ignoring Ash concerned face.

"No, I came to tell you that I will go to the study to read some books" Ash replied getting a small smile from his mother.

"Ok Ashy, but don't stay reading all night like you do sometimes, remember that tomorrow is monday and you have work on Professor Oak lab" Delia chided his son before looking at the Alakazam "Albert, I'm trusting you to look after him, do not let him stay awake all night. I don't want to receive a call from Samuel because Ash fell asleep over some machine or in the field as he had done before. Use hypnosis if you have to."

"_Don't worry Mistress Delia, I won't let him stay awake past 10"_ assured Albert and Ash huffed murmuring something about evil caretakers that don't let him stay awake, he wasn't a kid for crying out loud.

"Ok, now go" Delia said smiling and ushered them from the kitchen. She then went to the window to see his son and the psychic pokémon walking to the study filled with books that her husband build many years ago and stepped aside when she saw them entering and closing the door. Her eyes teared at remembering her beloved Ashton and she was thankful that her son couldn't remember how horrible was that moment when Ashton ordered Albert to take them away while he and the rest of his pokémon shielded them from the Rockets' pokémon who were ready to launch their Hyper Beams. She didn't knew that her son remembered everything that happened and was determined to find the real culprit behind Team Rocket evil actions and put him or her down, permanently.

Inside the study, Ash was sitting comfortably in one of the couch reading the last book about Eevee and his evolutions, intrigued by the ability of the small brown fox like pokémon. He had the theory that Eevee had an evolution in every type except normal i.e. sixteen different evolutions. He had read many papers from Professor Rowan, the pokémon professor from Sinnoh, who was the world specialist in pokémon evolution, and in one of those papers he stated that Eevee have an irregularly shaped genetic structure, enabling it to evolve into multiple Pokémon. He also wrote a paper with Professor Birch, the Pokémon Habitats specialist from Hoenn, about the habitat of Eevee and the effect of the environment in the normal pokémon. They concluded that Eevee's behavior can be affected by its surroundings and eventually, with enough alteration, an Eevee may evolve to better suit its surroundings. The two latest eeveelutions, Leafeon and Glaceon, proved the theory of Rowan and Birch.

He saw the weight and height statistics of the eeveelutions and frowned. All of them were relative light and small and while that didn't mean that they were weak pokémons he couldn't imagine a one meter tall Dragon type eeveelution. Dragon types were statically the best type overall and were very difficult to evolve because of the level requirement and the smallest fully evolved Dragon type was Altaria at 1.1 meters and evolved from Swablu at level 35 were most of the others Dragon Type reached the second stage of evolution. He theorized that perhaps Altaria could evolve in another pokémon that haven't been discovered yet, maybe it needed an evolution-induced held item like a Dragon Scale that helped Seadra to evolve to Kingdra when it reached the appropriated level.

With that thought in mind he went to his desk to write his ideas for a later research taking great care of writing down every possibility of Altaria being a second stage evolution and the possible ways to see if the pokémon could evolve. After that he began to create a chart to represent Eevee and its eeveelution marking down the requirements to achieve certain evolution and the generally stat of the evolved pokémon to try to see a pattern. He also wrote a note in his journal to ask Professor Oak for two evolution stone of every type and to contact Professor Rowan for a samples of a Moss Rock and a Ice Rock to examine them, he knew that the evolution stones emitted some kind of radiation but he didn't know if the other two rocks did the same. He began to make theories of the conditions for an Eevee to evolve in the other types and soon he was so focused on his work that he didn't notice the time passing.

Albert just looked at his master's son and shook his head in amusement. He knew that when Ash got in one of his moments of inspiration, as he liked to call them, nobody could stop him until he fell asleep from fatigue or he was so hungry that the noises from his stomach messed with his concentration. Well, nobody except Delia of course, she could make him stop with just a word and a look. He let him work in peace and looked outside to west, where Johto was located and he felt a sense of foreboding and hoped that whatever it was, it wasn't related with Team Rocket last criminal act and that didn't affect Ash or Delia in anyway.

At half past eleven, Ash was still working in his theory of the eeveelutions. He already had written more than forty pages with detailed explanations and conjectures with the help of some books he quoted in his work. The amusing part, for Albert, was that he only completed two of the types in his theory, the Dragon type and the Flying type, and was beginning to write the Ghost Type. He knew that when Ash finished his report, the number of pages will be over two hundred and it will be more when he make the first revision and added more conjectures. His master's son was that dedicated to his work.

Albert was feeling more restless as the clock tickled, the foreboding sense was getting stronger. He looked outside once again to watch the storm that begun an hour ago, noting the heavy rain, the strong wind that shakes the trees and the random lightning that fell to the earth from time to time.

'_It will be impossible to flight in this weather' _he thought seeing an unfortunate Pidgey being carried away by the wind '_Only a very strong flying pokémon could cross this storm.'_

Suddenly, at the same time that another lightning struck the ground, Ash whipped his head to look at Albert.

"Did you feel that?" he asked getting up the chair to look outside the window.

"_I feel something but I don't know what it is"_ the Alakazam replied _"What did you feel?"_

"Terror, despair, anguish, a cry for help." Ash said with his eyes closed to concentrate "Rage, someone pleading to help the young ones, pain"

'_Has he developed some kind of Empathy Sense' _Albert asked himself and extended his psychic powers to help Ash_ "Ash, follow that feeling and try to see what it is."_

Ash concentrated hard and some images flashed in his mind. A wounded pokémon, a crashed aircraft with dead men, cages with dead pokémons and one, no two pokémon crying, cracked eggs and then a new flash of the wounded pokémon he saw first. It was big, with blue and red with wings and a horrible shot wound in his side, a burned dead man with a rifle in his hand was next to the pokémon, the pokémon was fading and pleading for help. A lightning struck again and the light filled the clearing, trees being burned, leaked fuel falling to the water and the big dragon lying down in the shore.

"A Salamance!" Ash exclaimed with wide eyes "It's dying and need help!"

He ran outside and quickly went to west, to the sea past Mt. Hideaway. The Alakazam teleported himself to his charge. He knew he could stop him, but he was sure that Ash would never forgive him if he did that so he decided to go with the boy and protect him.

Twenty minutes later they arrived at the place of the crash, completely soaked and in Ash case out of breath, and they saw the tragedy that has occurred. A cargo plane was completely wrecked with scorch marks from evidently were pokémon attacks. The cabin glass was broken and the upper half of the pilot was hanging there impaled by a piece of glass. The approached the dying Salamance and saw the dead man with the rifle next to the pokémon. His head was completely burned most likely by a Flamethrower from the dragon. Ash barely noticed a red R on the front of the man torso and knew that they were Team Rocket member, probably they were part from the group that stole the pokémon. He decided to ignore the Rocket scum and kneeled next to the Salamance.

"_Do not worry, we are here to help you" _Ash assured the dragon telepathically.

"_No… the hatchlings… the young ones… save them" _the Salamance replied wincing from his wound in its torso "…_some of them survived… so much death… save the young ones and the eggs… save my egg… my child"_

"_Ok, we will take care of them first, just hang in there please" _Ash said with tears in his eyes at seeing the pokémon in agony. "Albert! There are young pokémon there still alive. We have to get them out of there"

Ash and Albert got inside the cargo hold of the ship and saw cages everywhere. They started to levitate them out the ship trying to ignore the dead pokémons inside the cages to find the survivors. They heard a faint cry and rushed to the source to find a cage with two small blue skinned quadrupedal Pokémon with black fur covering its head and neck and a small horn on the top of their head. They had some bruises and one of them a wounded leg but were relatively fine. Ash took the cage out and put it aside the others, then he tried to use his psychic powers to put them to sleep but they weren't affected.

"Please be calm, I will help you, but now I need you to stay calm in the cage" Ash told the pokémons "when we finish searching for more survivors I will take you to someone who will heal you ok"

The healthier pokémon looked at him and after a moment he nodded but he didn't take his eyes from him. Ash gave a small smile and nodded and then returned to the ship to help Albert. He saw Albert levitating a cage with a pokémon that looked like a shark that Ash recognized as a Gible, the pokémon was apparently knocked out, and a serpentine pokémon with a piece of metal embedded it's body.

"_The Gible is fine, but the Dratini will need medical attention, if we take the shard out she will bleed out" _Albert said and Ash nodded "_There are no more survivors Ash. I don't feel anyone alive inside beside us."_

"Are you sure?" he asked shocked "The eggs, what about the eggs"

"_I didn't find any egg alive" _answered the Alakazam "_only some cracked eggs."_

Ash cursed, knowing that when a pokémon egg was cracked the baby pokémon was dead. He then remembered the Salamance and knew that he could just give up.

"We have to find the Salamance egg, Albert" Ash said determined "I will not rest until I find the egg"

Albert nodded and took the two dragon pokémon outside and put them next to the other two. He joined Ash in his search, clearing the cargo hold of the cages with dead pokémons and cracked eggs. Finally, after moving a big box they found an egg that was intact. Ash recognized the pattern as a Salamance egg and took it outside, noting how cold the egg was.

He rushed to the dying Salamance and knelt in front the dragon to show her the egg. Salamance poked the egg with her snout and expelled a small flame that shrouded the egg and Ash hands. He felt his hands very warm but was surprised that the flame didn't burn him, he also felt the egg getting warmed.

"_Take them… with you" _said the Salamance "_take care of… them."_

"_No, just hang in there and you will care for them when you get better" _Ash replied.

"_I'm dying… young man" _she said speaking with more difficulty "_They are young… you have to care for them… please… take them with… you"_

"_Ok, I promise" _Ash said with tears running thru his face.

The Salamance smiled and moved her head to her wound to take a bite. Her teeth were stained with her blood and approached Ash arm to bit slightly. Ash gasped at that and felt something warm beginning to fill him originated from the bite. After a moment Salamance released his arm that showed the mark of her teeth but no wound, then the mark shifted to take the form of a Dragon Scale.

"_You are… Dragon Marked now… young man" _Salamance said "_wear the mark with pride… because only a few are chosen… to have it" _

The Salamance then closed her eyes and her head fell to the ground. Ash got up cradling the egg and walked to Albert and the other pokémons. Albert who was silently observing what happened saw that the Dratini was getting worse and without saying anything teleported them all to Oak's laboratory.

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**So, first chapter done. Leave your thoughts in a review.**


	2. Chapter II

**Hello again. I want to thanks all the people who added this fic to their favorites and following lists. Especially I want to thanks the one who reviewed this story, thanks for your support. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.**

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Chapter II

Thankfully, Professor Samuel Oak was working late that day due to Team Rocket attacks. He was trying to contact trainers to tell them to go to the nearest Pokémon Gym to help. Ever since the mass murder four years ago by Team Rocket the Pokémon League had developed a system to situations like that. All the experienced trainers that had participated in a Final Round in any League were required to form part of a response team in case of an emergency forming the first line of defense. They were put under the command of the Gym leaders and the region Elite Four who acted like Generals. On the top of the unit was the region Champion who commanded all the trainers. Since the founding of the Pokémon League the regional Champion had the task of protecting his or her region with the help of the Elite Four, but since the last Kanto Champion was killed the League decided to enlist the Gym Trainers and most experienced and powerful trainers.

Professor Oak, being the main sponsor of new trainers in Kanto since he retired from his position of Champion, was tasked to contact his sponsored trainers and give them their orders. Since the initial reports of the attacks he had been in conference with the others main Pokémon Professor for the other regions and Mr. Goodshow, the President of the Pokémon League. At the moment they were waiting some kind of report from Lance, the Champion of Kanto and Johto, who with his cousin Clair were chasing the Rockets who attacked the Dragon Holy Land. The last contact was established hours ago when Lance reported that they were flying in Mt. Silver to Kanto trying to reach the airplane but the storm was making more difficult the pursuit. The members of the Blackthorn Gym had to stop the chase to care for the wounded dragon pokémon, who were strong enough to go after the thieves, that they encountered in the persecution. They had encountered at least twelve dragon pokémon who had crashed after they fainted from their wounds but fortunately were still alive, in critical condition but alive, unlike the other twenty dragons who fell to their death.

After another hour of waiting, the Professors decided to leave Professor Oak in charge of contacting Lance, given the fact that the Champion was flying to his jurisdiction, while they took charge of contacting the other champions and groups. Oak turned off the live conference and turned up the volume of his radio in the standard emergency channel assigned to Lance and waited.

After twenty minutes, he was standing next to a window smoking a cigarette and drinking coffee to avoid falling sleep. It was between smokes that a complete soaked Ash appeared carrying an egg with his father's Alakazam and four young wounded dragon pokémons. He threw away his cigarette at seeing the critical condition of the baby Dratini.

"Ash! What happened?" Oak asked rushing to the serpentine dragon.

"Team Rocket Aircraft crashed near Mt. Hideaway. I felt a dying Salamance that was pleading for help and ran to her. We arrived to the place a saw the wrecked aircraft and the dying Salamance and with Albert started rescuing the survivors. They are the only ones who were alive" Ash replied indicating to the other three dragons and the egg in his arms.

Oak nodded taking note of the state of the other three pokémon and saw that while injured they weren't at live risk. He went to his computer and pushed the red medical alert button next to it to call all his assistants and returned to examine the baby Dratini.

"To the medical bay Ash" ordered Oak "Albert take the Dratini there with extreme caution. Ash once there put the others in the stretchers and then go to the Pokéball Storage Room and bring all the Chansey and Blissey that are there, they will help immediately. Then find an incubator for that egg"

Ash and Albert nodded and proceeded to their tasks. When they reached the medical bay some of the lab assistants were already there and once they saw the pokémon they quickly helped them. Seeing that one of the assistants was running to the Pokéball Storage Room yelling that he was going to retrieve the Chanseys and Blisseys he went to the nursery adjacent to the medical bay to put the egg in an incubator.

He returned to the medical bay and saw one of the Deino growling to the lab assistants who was trying to help the other one. Ash went there and started to calm the pokémon by speaking telepathically with him. The Deino stopped growling but still wouldn't let the assistant get near the other Deino so Ash started to pet his hair and told him that the man only wanted to help. The small pokémon relaxed at Ash ministrations and let the man help the other pokémon.

Suddenly three Chanseys and one Blissey arrived to the medical bay and the Blissey ordered the Chanseys to help the Dainos and the Gible while she went to help the critical Dratini that was in the hands of Professor Oak, Albert and Susan Joy, one of the lab assistant and member of the Nurse Joy family.

Ash, meanwhile, was using his psychic powers to speak to the two Dainos and the recently awoken Gible. He explained what had happened and tried to comfort them telling them that tell will be ok and reunited with their families soon, silently hoping that none of the pokémon mothers had died. He started telling them who he was to distract them from the healers and soon he was telling them stories about his life. In return, the pokémons told him about their home in the Dragon Holy land and their mothers, or as they call them, their Meemas.

The time passed and the two Deinos and Gible were cured and put to sleep with a sedative to make them rest better. Ash and his fellow assistants left the medical bay to the break room to wait leaving the Chanseys to observe the dragons. Once there Ash was questioned and he told them all that happened with details. Some of them cried for the loss of pokémon and all of them decided that they will go to the crash place at sunrise to take the pokémon and gave them a proper burial. Ash decided to not go with them because he didn't want to see more and they just nodded and accepted his decision. They started talking about their respective researches to pass the time and not think about the tragedy of the dragon pokémons and when Ash gave them a preview of his theory they began to discuss about it and their worries about the dead pokémon was forgotten for the moment.

Ash, without noticing, just closed his eyes and fell asleep.

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He felt someone touching his shoulder to wake him up. He grunted and opened his eyes to see his mother smiling at him. He sat up and rubbed his eyes and looked around noting that he and his mother were the only one in the break room.

"Hello Mom, what time it is?" Ash asked yawing and getting up before being hugged by his mother "Ok Mom, what gives?"

"I thought something had happened to you when I went to the study and didn't find you there" Delia murmured "I called Samuel and he told you were here and what you did last night"

"I'm sorry Mom, I promise to don't do something like that again" Ash said feeling guilty for worrying his mother.

"Do not make a promise that you won't keep" Delia said gently "I know that you will do something like you did last night if you have the chance to save some pokémon. Ashton was the same and you are just like your father, and he would be so proud of you for what you did, just as I am proud of you. Now come, there are three little babies who want to see you"

They walked calmly to the medical bay and Ash saw in wall clock that it was 10:38 AM and thought that last night he was more tired that he felt because he always got up at 6:30 AM. When they entered the medical bay they saw the three pokémon awake being cared by one Chansey and when the Gible noticed him he began to call 'Ash' again and again. Well, that was what he heard thank to his powers, because Delia just heard the pokémon repeating 'Gib'.

He approached Gible smiled at the land shark pokémon before he started to scratch his head, to the pleasure of the pudgy dragon. The two Deinos wined feeling left out, so Ash took Gible in his arms and walked to the Deinos' stretcher and sat between them with Gible sitting in his lap. He started petting the three dragons ignoring his mother and without noticing Professor Oak who walked into the bay with Albert and a young red haired man in his twenties who was wearing blue clothes with black boots and a black and red cape.

While Delia and Oak smiled at seeing the young boy playing with the dragons, the young man was stoically watching the interaction between the dragons and the boy. His eyes widened when he saw the mark on the boy left forearm but he didn't gave another reaction. He grabbed Oak left arm and made a sign to follow. Oak, intrigued, followed the young man out leaving the boy and three dragons under the watch of Delia.

The young man asked for a place for privacy and Oak led him to his office, once there, Oak sat on his chair and gestured the chair in front of his desk to the young man.

"What's wrong, Lance?" Samuel asked seriously.

"The psychic boy that rescued the dragons, is he Ashton's son?" Lance, the Johto/Kanto Champion, said in the same tone.

"Yes, why do you ask me that, I thought you have met him before" Professor Oak said. "You were his student"

"Ashton never introduced me to his family, you know that he valued his privacy and didn't want his family exposed to the media that tried to follow him everywhere" Lance told him "the mark on the boy arm, do you know how he got it."

"Ash, his name is Ash Ketchum" Oak said, but before he could continue he was interrupted by Lance.

"Ketchum?" Lance asked surprised "He doesn't have Ashton last name"

"No, Delia and Ash have her maiden last name" Oak explained "while Ashton and Delia married young, she never took his last name because Ashton was already a famous trainer who was in his way to become the Kanto Champion and they both disliked the attention that he got everywhere. Very few people know that Delia and Ash are Ashton family, a fact that we used to protect them after Ashton died. In the League, apart from me, only Koga and Agatha know that they are his family. Koga being Ashton best friend and best man at his wedding, and Agatha being Delia aunt."

"They never mentioned anything" Lance commented.

"Because they know how important one private life is and after Ashton died they swore to protect them" Oak said "They left some of their strongest pokémon to protect Pallet Town and its surroundings to aid Ashton pokémons who took the job to protect his family. If someone knew about Delia and Ash being Ashton family and that their survived that day and decided to attack them, well, that person would have to face about sixty pokémons over level 50, being Koga's Wheezing the weakest at level 52 and Ashton's Charizard the strongest at level 92. Also you have to count my own pokémon who live at the ranch."

"Interesting" Lance mussed scratching his unshaved chin "how come nobody has noticed so strong pokémons?"

"They know how to hide" Oak answered smiling "even the people who live here in Pallet doesn't know about the pokémons. Of course there are rumors from some kids who believe the forest at the start of Route 1 is haunted by ghosts but nobody believes them and Albert already reprimanded Ashton's Gengar and Agatha's Misdreavus to stop their shenanigans."

"Okay, I get it" Lance said "Now to my question, how did Ash got that mark?"

"The dying Salamance bit him in the arm and the mark appeared" Oak said before noting Lance thoughtful look "Why? What relevance has that mark?"

Lance stayed silent and just rolled up his right sleeve to show the same mark that Ash has in his left arm.

"This is a very important mark between my people in Blackthorn and I am the second member of my family and the fourth in my town to get it" Lance explained "This symbol like a Dragon Scale shown that you were chosen by a dragon after you proved yourself to him or her and makes a connection between the marked one and the Dragon pokémons. Every dragon respect and sometimes obey the person who have this mark, even if they are wild or are pokémon from another trainer. The wild dragons in the Dragon's Den and in the Dragon Holy Land obeyed my commands without the need for me to catch them and the trained dragons listened to me when they realized that I wasn't a threat to their masters. I got my mark when I was six after I protected my Dragonite when he was a baby Dratini from a raging Gyarados, I even took a Hydro Pump and was hurt pretty badly. If my Dragonite's father hadn't arrived just in time to save us, the Gyarados would have eaten us. After the Gyarados was defeated my Dragonite's father gave me my mark and entrusted me with the care of his son."

"So, from what you told me and what happened last night with Ash, I believe that the Salamance egg now belongs to him because the Salamance entrusted him to care of her egg" Oak said and Lance nodded before sighing.

"Yes, the egg belongs to him, but that it's not my problem" Lance replied "Ash, thanks to his mark and the fact that he save them, has already made a bond with the two Deino and the Gible and would be detrimental for the dragons to be removed from him. And I am not counting his psychic powers that let him understand them and could let him form an emphatic bond with any pokémon, not just the three of them. Also there is the situation with the Dratini who will remain here for the next two weeks until she recovers. I believe that he will also form a bond with her."

Professor Oak nodded and searched his pockets for his pack of cigarettes, offered one to Lance who refused, lit one and took a smoke. He knew that Ash mark and his connection with the dragons was troubling the Champion.

"Lance, frankly I don't see a problem here" Oak confessed "Ash, while young, is very responsible and dedicated, I wouldn't have accepted as one of my assistants if he wasn't. I assure you that he will take care of the dragons or any other pokémon he get, he has the same love for pokémon that his father had."

"I know he will care for them Professor, he is Ashton's son after all" Lance replied sounding defeated "The problem is that I was hoping to take the dragons to the Holy Land as soon as possible. A guardian called me and gave a preliminary report of the casualties. We lost many adult dragons in the attack Professor, but the loss of the young dragons and eggs is terrible. Ash rescued the only survivors and now they will want to be with him instead of returning to the Holy Land. The five Axew we had are dead, the female Fraxure and the two female Haxorus we had also died. The only Hydreigon we had is dead and her son and daughter are the one who Ash rescued. Two female Salamance survived and one is in critical condition. The Altaria and Flygon are all dead. The pair of Druddigon survived with little damage and we have several survivor of the Dragonite line but still the loss is significant. I was hoping to get home with good news about the survivors of the plane but it appears that I'll return empty handed"

Oak just took another smoke and exhaled slowly. He knew how important were the Dragon pokémons to the people of Blackthorn City, being the only place with a Temple for dragons and most importantly with a revered Sanctuary were dragons lived in peace. He looked at the young man and knew he was disappointed and hurt about the loss of the dragons but also knew that Lance, while reluctant, was letting Ash keep the four babies and the egg.

"I know is difficult for you to leave the dragons here, but I guarantee that they will be well treated here and I will help you with anything you and Clair needs to repopulate the Holy Land" Oak promised receiving another sigh and a nod. He got up and motioned Lance to follow him "Let's go to see Ash and the babies, I believe that if you spend a little time with him and the young dragons you will feel a little better"

Lance shook his head and stood.

"No Professor, I don't think it will help see the babies" Lance admitted "besides I have to help Clair and the others with the gathering of the corpses at the crash site and then I have to get in contact with the Elite Four for an update in the other cases. I will call you later."

"Are you sure?" Oak queried.

"Yeah, it's better this way" Lance responded taking a pokéball from his belt and walking to the window "when the crisis passes I will return to meet Ash and talk with him"

"Call me when you get the time, Lance" Oak said seeing the young man climbing the window.

Lance nodded and then threw his pokéball before jumping from the window. When Oak looked out the window he saw the Champion flying on his Salamance quickly getting out of sight. He closed the window, stub the cigarette out in the ashtray on his desk and left to see his youngest assistant to gave him the news about his new egg and three, maybe four, new dragon pokémons.

He wondered what reaction Gary will have when he finds about Ash new pokémons and chuckled at imaging Ash ignoring his grandson throwing a temper tantrum about it and then blast him thru a window with his psychic powers because Gary annoyed him. Ash just had a short fuse with Gary Oak.

'A short fuse for annoying people most likely' though Oak amused.

* * *

**Ok, second chapter done. Pretty boring in my opinion but it was necessary. I couldn't just make a time skip to when Ash start his journey. Next chapter will have a small time skip and we'll see Ash working at the lab and the appearance of Gary and the other kids of Ash age of Pallet Town. **

**Thanks again for the support and for the HP fans go see my other story.**

**See ya.**


End file.
